Green Economy, Urban Development, City Legacy: a possible future dialectic in Italy

If we think of the developed or developing territory of a large urbanised area in Italy, we can envisage development that is aimed at going beyond the “physical saturation” that is typical of the seamless metropolises our planet is full of. Development that aims at achieving an updated vision – a more responsible one as regards the quality of life in its three-fold meaning of environment, mobility and solidarity – where, first and foremost, the very perception of the city prevails, where perception of the key elements characterising balanced contribution to improving the quality of life is based on concepts such as reduction, separation, conservation and reuse. In contrast to the prevailing principles that are typical of the “non-responsible” metropolis, which are increase (of consumption, population, density...), saturation (of spaces, buildings, services...), profligacy (of energy, resources, the economy...) and wastage (of materials, refuse, primary resources...). We need an updated concept of sustainability – environmental, social and economic – which looks upon the issue of energy-environmental efficiency as one of the cornerstones on which to build the framework of the green economy vision and one of the momentous key issues to be tackled and resolved, including by adopting a totally new way of thinking, conceiving and perceiving the city which brings into play the opportunities offered by the concept of Green Cities as well as 'zero energy' and 'zero emissions'.